Drawing aid



June 21, 1960 Filed Nov. 18, 1957 J. D. LANNON DRAWING AID INVENTOR.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 i* MKM J. D. LANNON June 21, 1960 DRAWING AID 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 18, 1957 INVENTOR. L/af? dn/70M rraf/VEYY t J. D. LANNON June 2l, 1960 DRAWING AID 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 18, 1957 INVENTOR fa/ff? afina/z www@ DRAWING AID John D. Lannon, 133 E. Eaton St., Bridgeport, Conn. Filed Nov. 18, 1957, Ser. No. 697,061 Claims. (Cl. 33-174) This invention relates to an improvement in a multipart drawing instrument. In particular it embraces a modified layout protractor and an improved method of using it to design and sketch three-dimensional and perspective views of kitchen cabinets and serving counters, together with appliances such as ice boxes, stoves and the like.

nited States Patent This application isl a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 6, i957.

More particularly, the apparatus of this invention is a layout device which facilitates and simplifies the making of representative sketches of complete kitchen and appliance combinations so that salesmen and clerks with relatively little or no drawing or natural artistic ability can readily align various appliances together in a realistic perspective representation to give a complete composite picture of what a kitchen would look like in its completely assembled form,

Heretofore, although it has been possible to make simple door-plan drawings of kitchens in out two dimensions, there vwas little or no possibility of an average salesmans illustrating a three-dimensional layout such as would enable an average purchaser of appliances and similary equipment to quickly and easily make up a completed andremodelled sketch of a room such as a remodelled kitchen with all the appliances in place and arranged as a workable unitary drawing Salesmen were frequently supplied with miniature units representing ice boxes, stoves, dishwashers and the like which could be set up like children's blocks to represent miniature kitchens but thesev two seemed unsatisfactory and unrealistic to most prospective purchasers of equipment. Until the present type of sliding layout prot-factor was devised with its stencils, cutouts, templates and its easily acquired dexterity of operation, only those skilled in freehand drawing or those having considerable illustrative and architectural technical ability could produce a replica in perspective illustrating the planned unit on a two dimensional' plane piece of paper while giving the illusion of three dimensional Vision.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel and simple sliding layout protractor including parts which may be readily arranged on a sheet of ordinary drawing paper and enable even an unskilled person to readily make a perspective-like view of a completely equipped kitchen or, where desired, a restaurant counter or similar grouping of appliance equipment.

Still another object is to make 676,5 38, filed August possible a precisely .and accurately dimensioned perspective kitchen drawing,

with all the appliances shown to scale and in suchv location as to make possible the most efficient and most convenient use of each element.

therewith, readily traceable units representing ice boxes', lranges, sinks and the like aud designed to be used as sten- 1 ICC cils tol facilitate exact reproduction of desired units. in the linal layout drawing.

It is also a feature of this invention that with it, even a housewife unskilled in the art of drawing and illustrating, can quickly set up a simple kitchen layout to her own individual liking.

Still other and further objects and advantages of the preti-actor embodied herein will become apparent upon reading the following description, together with the claim and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l isa plan-viewr of the assembled elements forming the layout protractor showing the parts thereof in cooperative position;

Fig. 2 `is a layout drawing of a substantially complete drawing showingA kitchen appliances in perspective ar'- rangement;

Fig. 3 shows the layout protractor in position at HP (full lines) for drawing the left-hand appliances, base cabinets', etc. and at -{-10 (broken lines) for drawing the right-hand base cabinets, while in fine broken lines the upper template is partially shown (a portion broken away) in upright position for constructing vertical or plumb lines;"

Fig. 4 also shows the protractor in. position as used with an ordinary straight edge in |IO` and 10 position, While at the left (in fine broken lines) a portion of the upper template is shown inupright positionforA constructing vertical or plumb lines;

Fig. 5 is a top plan View of a slida-bl'e ilanged slide plate and holder therefor;r and Fig. 6 isa section of Fig. 5 taken on the line 6-6 thereof. v 1

Broadl'y, the present invention relates to a multipart instrument which may be used as a unit or used one part alone with an ordinary straight edge vfor drawing kitchen appliance layouts in perspective. It comprises an elongate master plate adapted to be set and pinned on a drawing surface in a determinate desi-redv position. The master plate has a straightedge along one longitudinal margin, preferably the upper margin, and has divergent straight-edge portions meeting at 'af determinate angle on the opposite longitudinal margin for drawing horizontals in perspective. In additiom an elongate slide plate having a straightedge slidable along one lon-gitudinalmargin thereof, preferably the lower longitudinal margin, is placeable on and slidable upon the straightedge of the master plate, or `instead of the master plate an ordinary straight edge may be used. The slide plate also has a transverse contoured edge forming an appliance outline for drawing vertical lines, herein called verticals, for fixing the lateral lmargins of the various cabinets, bases, etc. making Yup the appliances. The slide plate alsov has spacedpencil guiding apertures for drawing parallels which are related to the counter contour formed on atleast one transverse edge of the slide plate; the parallels are drawn by sliding the. slide plate along the master plate with a pencil inserted. in the guiding apertures; these parallels are herein called horizontals. p

Referring in more detail to the drawings, the elongate master plate 10' serves as one of lthe main guide elements of the multi-part instrument. It isl preferably mounted on a sheet of drawing paper whereon a main vertical or center reference axis A (Figs. l, 2.' and 3) drawn down approximately the center line of the paper establishes a vertical corner of the room being redesigned. The master plate is then placed at an appropriate position on the `drawing paper with the main vertical axis A shown in alignment through cut out portion 12 and -10 angular indication shown, line A beingy sighted through the slot 12 and protractor 12a. In order to maintain a semblance of perspective representation, the side wallsl of the room being redesigned are represented at a 'preferred' angular divergence from guide line A, as shown by the divergent straightedges 11 and 11r intersecting at 13, and from which lines are drawn such as 41a and 41b, Fig. 2, forming vthe door lines of the base cabinets. Otherv angular variations differing from those given bystraightedges 11 and-111' may be used; however, for purposes of easy and uniform representation and in order to avoid any unforeseeable inconsistencies in alignment and perspective, an isometric type of drawing closely analogous to that shown is preferable and is used herein.

HThe Vertical slot 12 vand the guidance provided by the -angle numbers on the protractor in master plate enable the operator using the multi-part instrument as a kitchen'appliance layout protractor to sight line A and to slide the master plate up and down in order to draw in the various horizontal border lines of the base cabinets, upper cabinets, etc.,without necessitating excessive care or exactness in the attainment of a semblance of perspective or convergence of the correspondingly roughed-in inscribing l-ines, herein called horizontals. The vertical lines which are drawn substantially parallel to the main vertical axis line A and herein called verticals correspond approximately to conventional plumb lines. These verticals may readily be drawn by placing the narrow edge of the slide plate 40 on the straight edge 10 as shown in small broken lines in Figs. 3 and 4, in which case the straightedge 40h may be used to draw the verticals. It is this type of isometric representation which gives the viewer the perception of perspective representation while enabling anyone, even those unskilled in the art, to make a highly realistic pictorial representation by merely following` the instructions herein given.

The instrument is placed in working position by locating slide plate 40 at Aan appropriate position with the line 41a being in alignment with pencil guide hole 41, as more clearly seen through alignment slot 40a. In this position, master plate 10 is then placed with its upper delineated straightedge 10b in slidable engagement with the lower longitudinal straightedge or margin 40b of slide plate 40. Then master plate 10 is adjusted by sliding it in contact with slide plate 40 immobilized, as by pinning it through 42 and fixing protractor center point 14, point 10c, while moving master plate 10 to the right or left while maintaining its slidable engagement with slide plate 40 and until the center point 14 and the left edge (Fig. l) of slot 12 come directly over locating points such as 14 and other coinciding points on the axis line A. In this position, plate 10 is pinned at point 14 and also a second pin is inserted at aperture 10a. The base cabinets can then be -roughed-in as described below. It is to be noted that the straightedge of the master plate 10 will be found to have assumed a position at an angle of approximately -1 0 with the vertical axis A.

By inserting a pencil in pencil guiding aperture 41 and sliding the slide plate from left to right across the top of the immobilized master plate positioned as above given until the pencilled-in line reaches axis A, a check on the relative correctness of the alignment of the rst horizon- `vtal, 'i.e. the bottom line of the base cabinets, is readily etlected. Thenthe remaining base cabinet inscribing lines are readily made by inserting` a pencil into hole 42 at or near axis A and sliding the slide plate 40 to the left, there- ,by drawing in line 42a to indicate the top of toe space 40C. The-remaining horizontals outlining the base cabinets are ythen made by inserting a pencil in hole 43 for the line at thetop of the base cabinet doors 43a, in hole 44 for the line forming the base cabinet lower table top edge 44a, -in hole 4S for the line forming the base cabinet upper table top edge 4511in hole 46 for the line forming the base cabinet rear edge 46a of base cabinet table top 40g,and then nally in hole 47 for the top edge 47a of rear apron 401. All these lines are drawn by sliding the slide plate 40 `back .and forth across'the top ofthe immobilized master plate 10 while holding the pencil inthe respective pencil guiding apertures.A

The straightedge 4012 of the slide plate 40 may be used as a straightedge in drawing horizontals -in perspective if desired. Also, it should be noted that the master plate has a pair of longitudinal margins, one of those longitudinal margins having a straightedge 10b, and this may be used for drawing horizontals in perspective it desired.

After the base cabinet horizontals are inscribed as above explained, it is a simple matter to insert the verticals and contour borders of the respective base cabinets by orienting transverse contoured edge 48 into its determinate positions and inscribing the pencil outlines as shown at 48a for the left-hand assembly of base cabinets. The sink stencil 49 can then be put into its appropriate position to outline the sink shown at 49a.

Then in the same manner, but by sloping the master plate so that the protractor reads approximately +10", and sliding the slide plate 40 so that a pencil in hole 41r will coincide with base line 41b When slide plate 40 is correctly adjusted and slidin contact with and along the straightedge of masterplate 10 and continuing by drawing 42b, 43h, 44b, 45b, 46b and 47b using a pencil in pencil guiding apertures 42r, 43r, 44r, 45r, 46r and 471', respectively, for outlining the right bank of base cabinets.

In a similar manner as above described with respect to .the left side, but by turning slide plate over from left to right as shown in broken lines in Figs. 3 and 4 and by using the contour 50, the various base cabinet right and left-hand ends50a can be lled in as shown. The stove stencil 51 v(as reversed) can be put into position and the stove 51a stencilled in as shown.

When a refrigerator 60a, electric built-in cabinet type oven 61a, dishwasher 62a or similar appliances are to be added to the composite kitchen picture, the appropriate stencil 69, 61, 62, respectively, to represent the unit desired is laid in place and the refrigerator 60a is dubbed in therefrom after placing the stencil along the appropriate base line and in its proper orientation.

It is to be noted that by simply turning the master or slide plate over so that the surface formerly in contact with the paper becomes the upper surface of the respective plate, that the stencils can be used for dubbing in the appliances for the right or left-hand base cabinets and all in correct perspective.

Various angularsettings of the horizontals 41a, 42a, etc. may be arrived at by simply aligning the 15, 20, etc. angular indications of -the protractor 12a with the vertical line A. However, the least amount of distortion of perspective accompanies the 10 minus and 10 plus setting for horizontals such as 41a and 41b, respectively. It is also to be noted that by placing notch 40e, Fig. l, on the line A and swinging slide plate 40V so that the apropriate edge of opening 40d falls on line A, that the slide plate can be put in proper alignment even without the aid of master plate 10 by simply sliding plate 40 up and down along line A. In addition, a Simple straight edge 70, Fig. 4, can be used and held in position by pins 70a and 70b once groove 40e `and opening 40d are aligned with center line A, whereupon slide plate 40 can be used to rough in thev necessary appliances without further resort to the use of master plate 10.

The serrations shown at 401 together with the precisely placed indentations for measuring vertical lines are adapted to facilitate the outlining of the widths of the respective wall cabinets which are described in more detail below.

The picture is completed by lining in the appropriate wall cabinets. This is readily eiectedV by positioning the master plate 10 along vertical axis A and with its lower vedge an appropriate distance representing 24 inches or standard cabinet 165 or 42. inches for the wali cabinets 106, over the sink or stove. Then after drawing top line 107:1 and coping 107b and locking master plate 10 in place at with center guide line A, the vertical divisional lines or verticals 101 for the wall cabinets are drawn as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 (using master plate 10 or straightedge 70) to the required length while guiding straightedge 55 of slide plate 40 along straightedge 1Gb of master plate 10, Fig. 3, or straightedge 70, Fig. 4.

It desired, a little lling in or shading, as indicated in the toe space 40C, -inishing oif of the cabinet ends 110, cabinet tops 111, cutting in the handles 120 for the wall cabinets and the handles 125 for the base cabinets, will serve to complete the final picture and unify the kitchen layout.

The modification shown in Figs. top plate 80 having mounted on the back thereof a pair of laminations 81a and Sib forming a top groove 82 and a pair of laminations 83a and 83h forming a bottom groove 84 in which grooves S2 and 84 the upper and lower edge portions `40h and 40j, respectively, of slide plate 40 are free to move laterally while being held at a predetermined angle by top plate 80, which in turn is held by pins 8S and 86. Thus slide plate 40 is correctly orieuted with respect to center guide line A.

Pins 85 and 86 fix slide plate holder 80 in proper orientation and by leaving pin 85 in place and shifting top plate 80 angularly so as to be held with pin hole 86a over line A, the right side of the kitchen layout can be readily drawn by rearranging slide plate 40 somewhat similarly to that described above with respect to the drawing of the right side of Figs. 3 and 4.

It is thus seen that a relatively iinished illustrative pencil sketch is readily obtained and from this drawing with a few lfilled-in highlights a rather complete picture results. The reversibility of the various stencil elements makes possible right and left-hand locations of the various appliances by simply turning the stencil cut-outs over. In this way varied positions of the appliances are readily obtained.

It is to be noted that various other uses can be found for the protractor of this invention and it is to be understood that the application and the form of the protractor shown and described is merely illustrative and by way of explanation of the invention only and that many changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A multi-part instrument for drawing kitchen appliance outlines in perspective, comprising an elongate master plate having a straightedge and being adapted to be set and pinned on the drawing surface in desired position; and an elongate slide plate having along one longitudinal margin a straightedge for drawing horizontals in perspective and slidable along the straightedge of said master plate, said slide plate having a transverse contoured edge forming an appliance outline for kitchen appliances in perspective, said slide plate having shaped cut out portions of detail parts tor said appliances also in perspective, said appliance outline and shaped cut out portions being in predetermined relation to the straightedge to form stencils for drawing outlines and detail parts of kitchen appliances and for drawing verticals for said appliance outlines and said slide plate also having spaced pencil guiding apertures in predetermined relation to the cut out portions and the straightedge for drawing parallels in perspective, the cut out portions and verticals to form perspective outlines of kitchen appliances in cooperative alignment when the slide plate is slid along the master plate.

2. A multi-part instrument for drawing kitchen appliance outlines in perspective, comprising an elongate master plate having a straightedge and being adapted to be set and pinned on the drawing surface in desired position; and an elongate slide plate having along one longi- 5 and 6 includes a tudinal margin a straightedge for drawing horizontals in perspective and slidable along the straightedge of said master plate, said slide plate having' a transverse: contoured edge lforming an appliance outline forA kitchen appliances in perspective, said slide plate having shaped cut out port-ions of detail parts for said appliances also in perspective, said Iappliance outline and shaped cut out portions being in predetermined relation -to the straightedge to form stencils for drawing outlines and detail parts of kitchen appliances and lfor drawing verticais for said appliance outlines and said slide plate also having spaced pencil guiding apertures in predetermined relation to the cut out portions and the straightedge for drawing parallels in perspective, the cut out portions and verticals to form perspective outlines of kitchen appliances in cooperative alignment when the slide plate is slid along the master plate, said slide plate having at least one transverse edge engageable with the master plate for drawing verticals.

3. A multi-part instrument for drawing kitchen appliance outlines in perspective, comprising an elongate master plate having a straightedge and being adapted to be set and pinned on the drawing surface in desired position; and an elongate slide plate having along one longitudinal margin a straightedge for drawing horizontals in slidable along the straightedge of said master plate, said slide plate having a transverse contoured edge forming an appliance outline for kitchen appliances in perspective, said slide plate having shaped cut out portions of detail parts for said appliances also 1n perspective, said appliance outline and shaped cut out portions being in predetermined relation to the straightedge to form stencils for drawing outlines and detail parts of kitchen appliances and for drawing verticals for said 4. The multi-part instrument as defined in claim l,

margins `also forming a longitudinal groove, and an elongate slide plate having -an upper longitudinal margin provided with a straightedge slidable in said first mentioned groove of said master plate, and a lower longitudinal margin slidable in the longitudinal groove formed by said second lamination, said slide plate having along one longitudinal margin a straightedge for drawing horizontals in perspective and a transverse contoured edge forming an appliance outline for kitchen appliances in perspective, said slide plate having shaped cut out portions of detail parts for said appliances also in perspective, said ,appliance outline and shaped lcut out portions being in predetermined relation to the straightedge to form Stencils for drawing outlines and'detail parts oflcitehen appliances, said slide plate also having spaced pencil guiding aperturespin predetermined relation to ythe cutout portions and the straightedge for drawing parallels in perspeotive when the slide plate is slid along the master plate. l

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,441,533 Knox Jan. 9, 1923 p Air-Vu System of Drawing, D. J. McQuaid, The Air-Vu Barnes Dec. 20, 1904 10 Company, Denver, Colo., October 1945, page 25. (Copy in Div. 66.)

8 McCaffery Mar. 1, 1927 Muench I an. 22, 1929 Maier Mar. 9, 1937 Thurston Jan. 29, 1946 Amundsen Nov. 10, 1953 Nelson Apr. 27, 1954 OTHER REFERENCES 

